Using Web Apps to Streamline Your Small Business

As businesses have continued to evolve and adapt to the digital landscape, so too have the tools and applications that they use. In the past few years businesses have started to do a lot more work online from eCommerce to banking and even business networking. Many of these services were initially provided as static websites but have since expanded into multi-device web applications, perfect for companies and freelancers to take advantage of to remain lean in their business processes.

These new web services have made serious impact on the traditional software purchasing process, where business owners had to buy many licences for a product, install it on multiple computers and keep the software up to date. Now, with the use of web applications, these companies can streamline their processes, needing only to login to their app of choice and begin using the product, safe in the knowledge that they are secure, connected to other data centres and constantly updated.

It seems that web apps have started to replace software downloads (even traditionally desktop-based products such as invoicing are now beginning to move into the cloud) and so we have come up with a few reasons to explain why we believe web apps are great choices to help streamline your business:

Web apps are affordable

There are a huge range of applications available for many different business functions in today’s markets which in turn has meant increased competition for business users and very competitive pricing. Not only has the cost of subscribing to web applications significantly reduced due to this market competition however, but there are also many free apps available that might solve your particular business needs.

With no need to buy multiple licences and low subscription rates you are free to put cost savings to better use elsewhere.

Web apps require no installation

Because the web apps are offered as a service over the internet, no installation is required, something that offers many advantages to the average business. For example:

All data is stored online within the application meaning that your business doesn’t have to go through the hassle of constantly backing up information. This means no more difficult calls to your “IT guy” as everything is saved and backed-up by the service provider keeping your data is safe from any device-related mishaps.

Also, since the application you need is on the web, you can be sure that you, and everybody else using the app, have access to the latest version meaning that you need not worry about the compatibility issues that can often arise with the use of traditional software.This can save time, particularly as you don’t have to reconstruct documents when transferring files between users.

Web apps can be used on multiple devices

One of the key benefits of using a web-based application is that they can be accessed on many different devices such as tablets and mobile phones. This is a big selling point for small businesses as it means you are always able to access your data, no matter where you are. You can work from anywhere and are able to move from the office to your home to a client comfortable that you have everything you need in the cloud. Knowing that you are just one click away from access to your files is a great plus for any business person looking to stay “connected”.

Web applications have become a huge part of the digital ecosystem and as you can see from the advantages above it is unsurprising. New online collaboration tools offer a level of flexibility previously unavailable which can help your business remain lean and nimble in a dynamic marketplace.

How do you use web apps within your business? Are you looking to improve your business processes with web-based software? Let me know in the comments below.